Nearly 70 years ago, when the Soviet Union ruled Europe alongside the United States, they were still at relative peace with the other world power. In fact, the “Big Three,” U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, met frequently to discuss strategy and events in Europe at the time. They had been allies, but then something changed and growing tensions forced the powers apart. Ultimately, this led to the United States and the Soviet Union becoming enemies, trapped in a global struggle between political, military, economic, and ideological structures. What caused this opposition, and how does it still manifest itself today? The effect of the Cold War on the world is staggering. Good things came out of the Cold War, but also bad things. Economic collapses, astonishing technological advances (such as in the arms race), political shake-ups, proxy wars, millions of lives lost and a greater than ever interest in security are just some of the ways whose countries have been affected. The legacy of the Cold War continues to shape and influence our lives today, and it is important not only to understand the significance of that war - which was not really one, hence the "Cold War » - but also to learn more about its causes. so we can do our best to not have this happen again in the future. There is no simple cause, nor just one reason, because so many events have piled on top of each other to cause the conflict. Let's take a step back and examine the events that ultimately led to a world-changing period. The start of the Cold War causes some controversy among historians, as tensions between the United States and Russia date back to the 19th century. . Most...... middle of paper ...... gram. He even invested millions of dollars in building the first highways under the new Federal Highway Act. Conservative as always, Eisenhower disapproved of the civil rights movement and signed the Landrum-Griffin Act in light of recent scandals involving unions. “THE COLD WAR (1945-1963).” SparkNotes. SparkNotes and Web. April 17, 2014. “Summary, The Cold War. » Eduplace.com. Houghton Mifflin Company, nd Web. April 17, 2014. “A Timeline of American Historical Documents.” » University of Oklahoma School of Law:. University of Oklahoma School of Law, nd Web. April 17, 2014. “Nuremberg Trials.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2010. Web. April 17, 2014. Shmoop editorial team. “Summary and Analysis of the Causes of the Cold War.” Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., November 11, 2008. Web. April 17. 2014.